In general, the present invention relates to a video-signal recording and playback apparatus, a video-signal recording and playback method and a recording medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to a video-signal recording and playback apparatus, a video-signal recording and playback method and a recording medium suitable for a case in which a recommended position to start an operation to playback a video signal from a recording medium is provided.
In order to allow the user to grasp the contents of a program recorded on a recording medium or the contents of a group of such programs, or in order to search such a recording medium for a program, there is provided a method whereby a plurality of shrunk static pictures or moving pictures each representing a program or a scene is displayed on a screen and the user is allowed to specify one of the displayed pictures in order to select a desired program or a desired scene of a program. A shrunk static picture is referred to as a thumb nail.
With the conventional method, a picture appearing right after the start of a recording operation is captured or pictures are captured at fixed intervals to be used as a representative picture of a program or a scene.
By the way, there are raised problems described below in the method cited above whereby, in the conventional signal recording and playback apparatus, pictures are browsed at fixed intervals to be used as representatives of programs or scenes.
For example, a picture taken as a representative picture of a program is not a scene of a program. Instead, a picture taken as a representative picture of a program is a picture in a CM (commercial) or a picture of a blue sky. Such a representative picture of a program cannot be used to infer the contents of the program at all. In such a case, it is generally difficult for the user to select a desired program or a desired scene in a program.